Ask the Chaplain

Friday, June 14, 2013

Dear Chaplain:I believe in the Lord but I struggle with how to pray.Do you have any suggestions?

Needing Prayer 101Dear Needing Prayer 101:Thank you for your question.I would suggest that you draw on a sheet of paper a small tree with five branches.Write the words, “Adoration” on the first branch, “Supplication” on the second branch, “Intercession” on the third branch, “Forgiveness” on the fourth branch, and “Protection” on the fifth branch.This simple tool identifying five parts of prayer will help guide you as you make your requests known to the Lord.When you begin, direct your prayers to your “Father God in heaven”, then follow the guide.Express your love, thanksgiving and praise to him (Adoration).Ask for your physical and spiritual needs to be met (Supplication).Pray for the needs of others (Intercession).Ask for your sins to be forgiven and for help forgiving others (Forgiveness).And lastly, pray for help with temptation and deliverance from evil (Protection).End your prayers with, “In the name of Jesus, Amen”.Remember to always pray with faith, believing that God will hear and answer you.This is one of many guides for general Christian prayers.

Dear Chaplain:Things aren’t going well for me right now, I’m feeling very down.I’m questioning my faith because I think Christians shouldn’t get depressed.How can a person know the Lord and be in such a state of hopelessness?Depressed in West Grove

Dear Depressed in West Grove:First, I am praying that you will feel better soon.Second, I encourage you to seek support from your religious community, and/or help from a medical professional.Finally, please know that all people, including the most faithful among us, can experience depression.Even some great men of God such as Charles Spurgeon, a preacher like no other, suffered agonizing periods of depression.Also, some of the most anointed people of the Bible, who were used mightily of God, faced depression.John the Baptist was one of them.He was filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother’s womb; he led a spiritually disciplined life; and he prepared the way for many to receive the Lord.Yet, later in life he faced depression and began to doubt the very one he preached about in the wilderness.John’s depression didn’t move Jesus to judgment or discipline, but rather it moved him to compassion.For we see after being advised of John’s state of mind, Jesus spoke kindly of him before many, and praised him for his humility and work in the Kingdom.God understands that we will experience many things in this life, some joyful and some sorrowful.And he doesn’t expect us to be strong, happy, saints during times of affliction, but rather that we would depend on him through it all.

Dear Chaplain:My neighbor asked me to lend her $200.She promised to pay it back when she got paid.She still hasn’t.Instead, she keeps avoiding me.I don’t understand why she won’t pay me back.Isn’t that the Christian thing to do?Pay Up

Dear Pay Up:To your credit you were generous, giving, and helpful in the time of need.You were a good neighbor.God wants us to be good neighbors and to freely give to others, including our enemies and those who have no intention of paying us back, at times.It is difficult not to be frustrated and angry when people don’t pay their debts as promised, and when we expect them to.Understanding this, Jesus showed us how to protect our hearts and not to become weary in well doing.He told us to “lend, expecting nothing in return.”This allows our giving to be free and our hearts to remain at peace, whether people pay us back or not.Your neighbor is not justified in her actions so pray for her, that she will learn to keep her vows and pay her debts.But I would encourage you to continue giving to those in need, but only what you can afford to lose.

Dear Chaplain is written by Chaplain Dayna Spence, an ordained minister, licensed evangelist, and chaplain who’s served as a hospital and hospice chaplain and currently operates a chaplaincy service in the Chester County area.Please write “Ask the Chaplain” at askthechaplain@dschaplains.com or 1109 Saunders Ln, West Chester, PA19382.